Apparatus for producing animal-fodder.



S. C. ROBERTS" APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING ANIMAL FODDER.

APPLICATION FILED NOV.4,19l4.

1 ,QQ'Y, 1 53 Patented Nov. 20,1917.

lV/TNESSES; LVVLQVTOR.

SHERMAN C. ROBERTS, OF DENVER, COLORADO.

APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING ANIMAL-FODDER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 20, 1917.

Application filed November 4, 1914. Serial No. 870,197.

To all whom it may concern: I

Be it known that I, SHERMAN C. ROBERTS, a citizen of the United States,residing at Denver, in the county of Denver and State of Colorado, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for ProducingAnimal-Fodder, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in apparatus for producing animalfodder.

By mixing a mealed forage, preferably composed of alfalfa and a cerealsuch as corn, barley or oats, with a syrup for the purpose of providinga fodder which has the proper quantities of carbo-hydrates and proteinrequired in an article of this character.

The principal object of the present invention is to provide a fodder ofsuperior quality and one that will properly withstand the deteriorativeeffects of climatic conditions in the tropics or in summer-time, bysubjecting its ingredients while they are being mixed, to the influenceof artificial heat to any desired degree either below or above theboiling point.

While within the spirit of my invention, the heat may be applied to themixture in any suitable manner, I preferably obtain this object byintroducing steam into the hollowed parts of the mixing apparatus whenit is desired to merely heat the fodder, or to admit the steam directlyinto the mixture through apertures in the said parts when it is requiredto bring the liquid constituents thereof to the boiling point.

An embodiment of my invention has been illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings in the various views of which like parts are similarlydesignated, and in which,

Figure 1 represents a longitudinal section through the mixing machine,

Fig. 2, a horizontal section along the line 22, Fig. 1,

Fig. 3, a transverse section taken along the line 33, Fig. 1.

Fig. 4, a transverse section along the line 4-4 Fig. 1, drawn to anenlarged scale, and

Fig. 5, a similar section showing the 'method of introducing steam intothe material under treatment, for the purpose hereinbefore described.

Referring to the drawings in detail, the reference character 2designates a horizontally disposed, cylindrical mixing trough which atone of its ends is closed by means of a head 3, and which at itsopposite end is connected with a feed chamber 4 formed in a trough 5which at its outer end is closed by a head 6 and which at its upperedges is covered by an apertured plate 7 which supports a hopper 8through which the meal is introduced into'the machine.

The two heads 3 and 6 are formed with axially alined bearings for thesupport of a shaft 9 which at a point outside the feedtrough 1s providedwith a pulley 10 for its operative connection with a convenientlylocated motor.

A pair of perforated pipes 12 disposed in the upper portion of thefeed-trough, serve to lntroduce the syrup thereinto, the said pipesbeing at a point outside. the said trough connected with a conduit 13which communicates with a source of supply.

The portion of the shaft within. the feed chamber carries a spiral screwblade 14 which serves to convey the meal and syrup introduced into thesaid chamber, into the cylindrical mixing trough 2 in which the twoingredients are mixed by the action of a plurality of paddles 15 whichextend ra dially from the shaft to which they are separately attached bymeans of the split collars 16 shown in Figs. 3 and 4:.

The shaft 9 is tubular and its axial bore is closed at one of its endsby means of a detachable plug 17 while at its opposite end it connectswith the stationary steam discharge pipe 18 of a conveniently locatedboiler.

The paddles and the collars on which they are mounted are provided withalined steam-ducts 19 which register with apertures in the shaft and arethereby placed in communication with the interior of the same.

The ducts of the paddles are by means of transverse passages 20,connected with ap'ertures in the exterior surfaces thereof for theintroduction of steam into the mixing trough when it is desired to boilits liquid contents, but when it is required to only heat the mixturecontained in the mixing trough, these passages may be omitted as shownin Fig. 5, or they can be closed by the use of removable plugs 21, as isindicated in Fig. 4.

The mixing machine is in practice mounted upon a suitable support whichhas been omitted in the drawings, and the cylindrical mixing trough hasat its end remote from the feedchamber, an opening 22 in its bottomportion for the discharge of the prod-- uct of the machine into asubjacently disposed receptacle.

In the operation of the machine the meal and syrup are introduced intothe feed cham ber respectively through the; hopper 8 and. through theperforations in the pipes 12; the two ingredients are by means of thespiral blade on the constantly rotating shaft, conveyed into thecylinder in which they are thoroughly and intimately mixed by the actionof the paddles.

While thus being agitated the mixture is subjected to artificial heat bycontact with the parts of the rotary element which are filled tvith thesteam supplied through the conduit 18, or when it is necessary to boilthe contents of the machine while being mixed, the steam is introducedthereinto through the passages in the paddles, as hereinabove described.

The product of the machine is discharged through the opening 22 in theend of the cylinder and by removing the plug 17 in the end of the shaft,the steam may be exhausted from the latter either into the open, or intothe water space of the boiler, by means of a suitably connected pipe.

It will be observed that by the movement of the paddles in closeproximity to the interior surface of the cylindrical mixing trough, thematerial while being mixed is kept of a uniform fineness and cannot forminto lumps as is the case 1n many of the machines at present in use, andthe provision of Having thus described my invention what I I claim anddesire to secure by Letters-Patent is:

1. Apparatus for the production of fodmemes .der of the characterdescribed comprising a vat, a feed-chamber connected therewlth andhaving an opening for the admission of meal, means for feeding a syrupinto said chamber, a rotary shaft, a feed-screw on said shaft withinsaid feed-chamber, and non-conveying agitating paddles on the shaftwithin said vat, said paddles being positioned separate from andsuccessive to said feed-screw.

2. Apparatus for the production of fodder of the character describedcomprising a vat, a feed-chamber connected therewith, and having anopening for the admission of meal, means for feeding a syrup into saidchamber, a rotary shaft, a feed-screw on said shaft within saidfeed-chamber, non-conveying agitating paddles on the shaft within saidvat, said paddles being positioned separate from and successive to saidfeed-screw, and means for introducing steam into the vat during themixing-action.

3. Apparatus for the production of fodder of the character describedcomprising a vat, a feed-chamber connected therewith, and having anopening for the admission of meal, means for feedin a syrup into saidchamber, a rotary shaft, a feed-screw on said shaft within saidfeed-chamber, nonconveying agitating paddles on the shaft within saidvat, said paddles being positioned separate from and successive to saidfeed-screw, said shaft and said paddles having communicating passagesand apertures for the introduction of steam into the vat during themixing action.

In testimony whereof I have affixed my signature in presence of twowitnesses.

SHERMAN o. RoBER'rs."

